


Visibility

by Shujinkakusama



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Cotton Candy Garnet, F/F, Fluff, Short One Shot, War Era, terrifying renegade pearl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 15:52:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6290626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shujinkakusama/pseuds/Shujinkakusama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's three hundred years before Garnet realizes she can hide her third eye with a visor. Pearl's feelings are mixed. Rose has no idea what's going on, if anything. // War era, one shot, fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visibility

**Author's Note:**

> I really just wanted to play in the war era sandbox.

It was three hundred years before Garnet realized she could hide her third eye with a visor.

 

A cloth headband had been her first attempt, but putting pressure on her third eye hurt—and with the volume of her hair alone, a full helmet had been right out. Besides, it was distracting, seeing the inside of a blindfold floating across her vision. It wouldn’t do for battle.

 

The Fusion endured stares from comrades and opponents alike. The latter made for a good distraction; the former made her uncomfortable enough to avoid Rose’s social gatherings altogether. Rose was always trying to keep up morale among her supporters, always throwing celebrations in honor of victories. She’d picked up the notion that they should celebrate in honor of those passed, too, but those parties were much more subdued. Garnet made sure to attend those.

 

It had been an enemy, a Jasper Fusion, that gave her the idea: armed with a helmet that covered her eyes, along with a massive two-handed battleaxe, she’d squared off against Rose Quartz. Though she was bigger, by far, and should have had the upper hand, her Fusion had fallen apart against Rose’s superior swordsmanship and invincible shield. Pearl had caught herself in the middle, as she too often did, and retreated to her Gem, and Garnet hated that she couldn’t change her comrade’s mind where senseless sacrifice was concerned, and Garnet had whisked her Gem away while Rose drew the Jasper Fusion’s attention.

 

Garnet’s new visor covered her entire forehead, curved just slightly below her eyes to keep distracting light out. She could see through it without being seen—mirrors existed, and so did glass, and it wasn’t a very difficult notion to combine the two with magic. Garnet rather liked that, even if the world looked just a shade darker on her side of the magic glass.

 

She sat at the edge of Rose’s fountain, not quite alone. Pearl’s Gem was beside her, and she waited with strained patience for her friend to emerge. Guarding the area were Chalcedony and Agate, but they were far out of sight, away from the inner sanctums.

 

Garnet waited.

 

Seeing Pearl reform was always a strange thing. Garnet wondered if it was because she took the same form every time, but she watched her shine and twirl in the air like it was a dance, and their comrades never did that. Garnet didn’t remember if Ruby had ever done such a thing, either, and was certain Sapphire hadn’t at all. But Pearl never took long, and Garnet couldn’t help wondering why her first recognizable form was so different from the one she settled on now.

 

Pearl’s feet touched down on the grass as light motes flurried away from her new form—identical in every way to this morning’s—and half out of habit, and half teasingly, Garnet gently applauded her perfect landing.

 

“Garnet?!” Pearl gasped, whirling around to stare at the Fusion in surprise.

 

“Who else would it be?” the Fusion asked, motioning for Pearl to come closer. The renegade did, with some trepidation in her eyes.

 

Pearl frowned up at her friend, noting with displeasure her newest accessory. “Did you get hurt?” she asked immediately, indicating the visor with an accusatory finger. Garnet chuckled, tipping her visor up to meet Pearl’s eyes. The sudden brightness made her squint a little, nose wrinkling in protest, and to her relief and delight Pearl’s look of distrust melted completely away.

 

Garnet was only slightly surprised when Pearl’s arms wound their way around her shoulders, and she returned the hug gratefully once her visor was firmly back in place. “Did you think I was someone else?”

 

“You could’ve been,” Pearl replied, tightening her hold. “Why else would you hide your face from me?”

 

She supposed Pearl had a point there. Garnet sighed, resting her chin atop Pearl’s head. “I hadn’t thought of that,” she admitted, “I was practicing. Wanted to see what you thought.”

 

“Of what?”

 

Trust Pearl to be brilliant in every way but connecting the dots off of the battlefield. “The visor. Hiding my eyes.”

 

Pearl pulled back; Garnet let her without protest. Wide blue eyes stared up at her, visibly concerned, and Pearl’s thin eyebrows knit together with worry. “Is Kunzite giving you trouble again?” she asked, already bristling. “Because I’ll happily ‘talk’ to her again, Garnet, if she’s even looked at you wrong, so help me—“

 

“It’s not Kunzite,” Garnet said quickly, even if she was part of the problem. She smoothed back Pearl’s soft hair, away from her Gem, and heaved a sigh. “I just think it’s… easier. To hide that there’re three instead of two. Maybe the others will stare less.”

 

Pearl opened her mouth to argue, but caught herself, caught the way Garnet’s face was angled just slightly away. “Does it bother you that much?” Pearl asked at length, gently reaching to turn Garnet’s face toward hers, fingers splayed across her lower cheek and jaw. When Garnet didn’t answer immediately, Pearl frowned. “They’re wrong, you know,” she insisted, “You’re _perfect,_ Garnet! You shouldn’t have to hide anything.”

 

The Fusion felt her cheeks warm slightly, and shook her head. “It’s fine,” she said, mustering up a smile to counter the dour look on Pearl’s face. “It’ll cause less problems… And besides, the visor will protect my eyes in battle. One less weak point.”

 

“As if you have weak points,” Pearl murmured, “Although I suppose it _is_ harder to read you, this way…” Garnet had a way of standing perfectly still, of barely breathing. The smaller Gem’s frown was delicate this time, and she settled her hand on her teammate’s shoulder. “I don’t really have room to complain.”

 

“You were going to?”

 

Garnet’s surprise was genuine, and she lead Pearl toward the fountain’s edge, perching on the rim with ease. Pearl joined her, hesitating for a moment before she joined her companion on the fountain. A hundred, even fifty years ago, Pearl would have taken to the grass when it was them alone.

 

“Well—that is… _I_ like your eyes.” Pearl’s embarrassment warmed Garnet’s heart; it wasn’t often that she allowed anyone else to see her flustered. Until relatively recently, it had been the other way around almost without fail. “You shouldn’t have to hide who you are.”

 

“I think you mean _what_ ,” Garnet corrected her gently, glancing down at her Gems for a moment before taking Pearl’s hands. “I appreciate what you mean, though. But it is what it is.”

 

“I’ll stab her,” Pearl cut in, “I really will, Garnet. If Kunzite’s been cruel to you—“

 

Garnet laughed, and the sound made Pearl’s cheeks flush a lovely blue. It also had the bonus effect of silencing the pale Gem. Garnet squeezed her hands warmly. “It’s not Kunzite. The new recruits’re uneasy, too, and that’s bad for morale. Especially…” her face fell. “Especially after what happened with Jadeite. I’ve heard them worrying about corruption. I don’t want to fuel the fire.”

 

“But Jadeite was captured by Moldavite,” Pearl protested, clutching Garnet’s hands tightly. “You aren’t corrupted, Garnet. You’re exactly as you have been all this time. Everyone knows it—and anyone who doesn’t is a fool.”

 

Pearl’s insistence wasn’t new, but Garnet couldn’t deny that she liked to hear it. She smiled, leaning down to plant a kiss just to the right of Pearl’s Gem. “Thank you, Pearl,” she said softly, lips scantly brushing against the edge of her Gem. “I really appreciate it.”

 

Whatever protest Pearl mumbled wasn’t audible enough for the Fusion to make out, but when Pearl leaned forward and simply buried her face in her neck, she knew there wouldn’t be an argument. Garnet released her hands, earning thin arms wrapped tightly around her waist in exchange, and they sat together for long hours afterwards, whispering in hushed tones about the day’s battle before and after Pearl had poofed.

 

It wasn’t the first—or last—time that Pearl would come here in Garnet’s hands. But as the sun began to set beyond the vaulted green walls, Pearl looked up at Garnet. “Can I see them?” she asked abruptly, already reaching for Garnet’s visor. It slid off easily, and Garnet peered down at her quizzically in the dying light.

 

“I just want to remember. If you’re going to wear it from now on. I want to memorize this,” Pearl said softly, touching the bared contours of her best friend’s face. Garnet’s heart somehow flipped in her chest, and she froze under Pearl’s scrutiny, letting the older Gem explore the dips and curves around her eyes.

 

“I don’t have to wear it around you,” Garnet offered breathlessly, unable to take her eyes off of Pearl. The other shook her head.

 

“If you’re going to do it, do it,” she said, smiling a little despite herself. “Besides, I have a good memory. I won’t forget any part of your face.”

 

Garnet knew she wouldn’t, and she swallowed hard.

 

“Pearl, I—“

 

“Garnet! Pearl! Are you there?” Rose Quartz’s voice cut the two short, and Pearl whirled, attention immediately drawn away. Garnet snatched up her visor, pushing it back into place over her eyes in time for their esteemed leader to round the bend. Rose was breathless, but smiling. “There you are! You’ve missed the party…”

 

“That was the idea,” Garnet said softly, following Pearl to her feet.

 

“My reformation took too long,” Pearl said apologetically, reaching for Rose’s hand and planting a kiss on the knuckles. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Oh, Pearl! You don’t have to be!” Rose smiled, tugging her in for a welcoming kiss, and then caught sight of Garnet’s new accessory. “Garnet! What are you wearing? It’s new!”

 

“Tactics,” Garnet said with an easy smile, “If the enemy can’t read my face, I stand a better chance of surprising them.”

 

Rose couldn’t argue that, and Pearl peered back up at Garnet, wondering at the very different answer than she’d received.

 

“Well, you two, there’s still plenty of night to celebrate,” Rose said, gathering Garnet’s hand in hers as well. “Let’s go!”

 

Pearl couldn’t be sure if Garnet had met her gaze, but she certainly looked at the Fusion as Rose tugged them along after her. She wondered, but never got the chance to ask, and Garnet was glad for that. It was better this way.


End file.
